UTC Women Beat Furman to Advance to Finals of SoCon Tournament

March 6, 2015

Rick Nyman,

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (AP) – Jasmine Joyner scored a career-high 26 points and No. 17-ranked and top-seeded Chattanooga handled fifth-seeded Furman 68-55 on Friday, advancing to Sunday’s Southern Conference championship game.

Chattanooga (28-3) will face the winner of second-seeded East Tennessee and third-seeded Mercer.

Joyner was 10 of 15 from the floor and had 20 rebounds, tying a career high, to pace the Mocs. Ka’Vonne Towns and Keiana Gilbert added 11 points apiece.

Brittany Hodges led Furman (19-13) with 21 points and 10 boards. Whitney Bunn had 18 points and Sarah Durdaller contributed 10.

Furman scored the first basket of the game, but Joyner scored the next two and Furman never tied or led again. Chattanooga ran out to a 16-6 lead and scored six of the last eight points of the first half to lead 33-19 at the break.

The lead reached 20 on Gilbert’s jumper early in the second half and Furman never made a run.